Electrical connector



ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed Nov. 24, 1965 Figs I IG 4 D. R. COLDREN ET AL 3,348,189

United States Patent Filed Nov. 24,1965, Ser. No. 509,519

9 Claims. (Cl. 339-32) This invention relates to the art of electrical connectors and more particularly to a new and novel female contact which may be positioned on a panel or printed circuit board or the like.

In the electrical industry today there are numerous applications which utilize modular components wherein numerous panels or printed circuit boards or the like are employed. These boards or panels are frequently quite small in size and a great number of such boards may be employed in a single system. The need has therefore arisen for an electrical contact which may be used in conjunction with such boards or panels for connecting'such panel to some other component in the electrical system. Such a contact must be relatively inexpensive because of the great number of contacts which would be necessary in such a system.

An object of this invention is to provide a female contact which is easily connected to a printed circuit board or panel for electrically connecting such board. or panel to another electrical circuit member.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a female contact which is relatively inexpensive to produce.

A further object is to provide a female contact which will receive a male tab from rections.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a contact having means to prevent the over stressing of the tab receiving portion of the contact.

Other objects and attainments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention; it is to be understood, however, that this embodiment is not intended to be exhaustive nor limiting of the invention but is given for purpose of illustration in order that others skilled in the art may fully understand the invention' and the principles thereof and the manner of applying it in practical use-so that they may modify it in various forms, each as may be best suited to the conditions of a particular use.

In the drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a contact embodying the teachings of the present invention, .said contact being mounted on a panel or printed circuit board or the like;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the contact shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a partial end view as seen in the direc- 7 tion of the arrows 44 of FIGURE 2.

The contact of the present invention, indicated generally at 10, is shown in FIGURE I mounted perpendicularly to a printed circuit board or panel 12. The contact is formed from a sheet metal blank and comprises a generally rectangular strap portion having side Walls 14, 16, 18 and 20, the side wall 18 being split as indicated at 22. A pair of tines 24 and 26 extend from side walls 18 and 20 respectively and are bent at substantially right angles to said side walls so. that the said tines lie flush against the rearward face of panel 12. Projecting from the opposite sides of walls 18 and 20 are flanges 28 and 30 respectively, the said flanges being bent to lie flush against the forward face of panel 12 to thus securely position the contact. The tine 24 and flange 28 are split similarly to side 18. By locating the contact within a rectangular aperture in panel 12, the split side of the contact is prevented from opening.

A pair of spring members 32 and 34 project from side Walls 14 and 16 respectively, the said spring members defining a longitudinal passageway through the contact which is open from end to end to receive a male tab from either end. The springs 32 and 34 have converging portions 36 and 38 respectively and intermediate parallel portions 40 and 42. respectively. At the free end. of the spring members 32 and 34 there are diverging portions 44 and 46 respectively. By flaring outwardly the free ends any of four different diof the springs there is provided a guideway which will receive a male tab and guide the male tab into the longitudinal passageway between the springs 32 and 34.

The intermediate parallel portions 40 and 42 of the springs are provided with wings 48 and 50 respectively, the said wings being flared outwardly to provide an entrance way for a male tab at right angles to the main longitudinal passageway of the contact. The wings 48 and 50 are bordered on one side by a pair of tabs 52 and 54 extending from portions 36 and 38 respectively, the said tabs partially defining a side wall of the longitudinal passageway of the contact'and defining an end wall of the transverse passageway.

At the opposite end of wings 48 and 50 a pair of ears 56 and 58 project from spring members 32 and 34 respectively. As best seen in FIGURE 4 the cars 56 and 58 are of generally U-shaped configuration, the base of the U further defining a side wall of the longitudinal passageway of the contact and the outer leg of the U constituting a portion which overlies the opposite spring member to which the ear is attached. When a male tab is inserted into either the longitudinal or transverse passageway of the contact the spring members 32 and 34 will be forced outwardly. It is necessary that these spring members only be moved within their elastic limit so as to insure that the springs move back to their unstressed condition after removal of the tabs. The cars 56 and 58 perform this function in that the spring members cannot move outwardly beyond the point where they would contact the cars.

In the use of the contact a rectangular opening would be formed in a panel or printed circuit board and the contact would be inserted therein. The tines 24 and 26 and the flanges 28 and 30 would be bent into a position where they would lie flush with the opposite faces of the board or panel. In the case of a printed circuit board,

the tines 24 and 26 would engage a conductor lying along the face of the board and the tines would be soldered or otherwise electrically bonded to the conductor. With the contact so positioned, the board or panel 12 may then be connected to another electrical circuit member by inserting a male tab connected to such other member through any of the four openings in the female contact 10. In this way boards or panels can be either stacked in parallel relationship or they may be joined at right angles to each other.

It can be seen that the contact of the present invention is extremely versatile in allowing modular components to be connected in a number of various configurations. By forming the contact out of a single blank the contact is relatively inexpensive to produce and yet is sturdy and rigid in construction.

Changes in construction will occur to those skilled in the art and various apparently diflerent modifications and embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is ofiered by way of illustration only. The actual scope of the in vention is intended to be defined in the following claims when viewed in their proper perspective against the prior art..

We claim:

1. A female contact having a longitudinal passageway extending completely therethrough for the reception of a male tab member, said contact comprising a generally rectangular strap portion, an elongated spring member extending from each of opposite sides of said strap portion and defining opposite sidewalls of said longitudinal passageway, said spring members converging inwardly from said strap portions and diverging outwardly at their free ends,- said spring members having a portion lying between said convering and diverging ends which lies substantially parallel to the longitudinal extent of said pas sageway, a pair-of wings extending from theeentral portion of each of said spring members and substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal extent thereof, said wings being flared outwardly to permit insertion .of a male tab through said spring members and at substantially right angles to said longitudinal passageway, an ear extending from each of said spring members substantially perpendicularly to 'the longitudinal extent thereof, each said'ear having a first portion defining'a wall of said longitudinal passage and 'a second portion overlying the opposite spring member to which said ear is attached to thereby'limit the outward movement of said-spring member due to insertion of a male tab member, and means extending from said contact for securing said contact to an electrical conductor.

'2. A female contact as set forth in .claim 1 wherein said last named means comprises tines extending from opposite sides of said strap portion and engageable by electricaltconductors on a board member, and additional means extending from said strap member for engaging the opposite wall of said board member 'fromvsaid tines to thereby 'firmly secure said contact to said board'memher.

3. A female contact having a longitudinal passageway extending completely therethrough for the reception of a male tab member, said contact comprising'a generally rectangular strap portion, a pair of elongated spring-members-extending from opposite'sides of said strap :portion and'defining opposite walls of said longitudinal passageway, said spring-members having a firstportion extending inwardly at an angle to said passageway and .a second portion extending substantially parallel to said passageway, a pair of flared wing members extendingfrom said second portion of said spring'members to permit insertion of a-maletab through said wing members and spring members at substantially right angles tosaid longitudinal passageway, -an ear extending from each of said:spring members and substantially perpendicularly thereto, each said ear having a first portion defining a wall of'said v 4 longitudinal passage and a second portion overlying the opposite spring member to which said 'ear is attached to thereby limit the outward movement of said spring member, and means extending from said contact for securing said contact to an electrical conductor.

4. A female contact asset forth in claim 3 wherein said last named means comprises tines extending from opposite side of said strap portion.

5. A female contact as set forth in claim 3 wherein said ears are disposed adjacent one end of said wing members, and a tab extending from each of said spring mem- 2,969,521 1/1961 Scoville 339-32 3,120,990 2/ 1-964 Kinkaid 339-259 3,208,027. 9/1965 Johnson 339-42 FOREIGN PATENTS 520,105 4/ 1 940 Great Britain.

bers and disposed at the other end of said wind members to thereby define a rectangular opening through which said male tab may be inserted.

'6. A female contact as set forth in claim 1 wherein said ears are disposed adjacent one endof said wing mem bers, and a tabe extending 'from-eachof said spring members adjacent'the other end of said wing members to thereby define a rectangular opening through which said male tabs maybe inserted.

7. A female contact comprising a generally rectangular strap portion, means extending from said strap portion for securing said contact to an electrical conductor, a

pair ofelongated spring members extending from opposite sides-of said strap member, said spring members defining a longitudinal-passageway extending entirely therethrough, a flared portion at each end of said spring members whereby a male tab may be inserted into said longitudinal passageway from either end thereof, said spring members further having outwardly flared portions e'xtendingfrom-an intermediate section of said spring members: to thereby define asecond passageway extending substantially at right angles to said longitudinal passageway whereby a male ta-b maybe inserted into saidsecond passageway from either end thereof.

8. A 'female contact as set forth in claim 7 further comprising means extending from each of said spring members andoverlying the other-of said-spring members to limit theoutward movement thereof.

9. A female contact as set 'forth in claim '7 wherein said securing means comprises a pair of tines-extending fromopposite sides of said strap portion, said-tines serving tosecure said contact to an electrical circuit'member and to make electrical connection "therewith.

References'Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS MARVIN A. CHAMPION, PrimanyExaminer. J, 1-1 MCQLYNN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A FEMALE CONTACT HAVING A LONGITUDINAL PASSAGEWAY EXTENDING COMPLETELY THERETHROUGH FOR THE RECEPTION OF A MALE TAB MEMBER, SAID CONTACT COMPRISING A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR STRAP PORTION, AN ELONGATED SPRING MEMBER EXTENDING FROM EACH OF OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID STRAP PORTION AND DEFINING OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS OF SAID LONGITUDINAL PASSAGEWAY, SAID SPRING MEMBERS CONVERGING INWARDLY FROM SAID STRAP PORTIONS AND DIVERGING OUTWARDLY AT THEIR FREE ENDS, SAID SPRING MEMBERS HAVING A PORTION LYING BETWEEN SAID CONVERGING AND DIVERGING ENDS WHICH LIES SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL EXTENT OF SAID PASSAGEWAY, A PAIR OF WINGS EXTENDING FROM THE CENTRAL PORTION OF EACH OF SAID SPRING MEMBERS AND SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULARLY TO THE LONGITUDINAL EXTENT THEREOF, SAID WINGS BEING FLARED OUTWARDLY TO PERMIT INSERTION OF A MALE TAB THROUGH SAID SPRING MEMBERS AND AT SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID LONGITUDINAL PASSAGEWAY, AN EAR EXTENDING FROM EACH OF SAID SPRING MEMBERS SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE LONGIDUTINAL EXTENT THEREOF, EACH SAID EAR HAVING A FIRST PORTION DEFINING A WALL OF SAID LONGITUDINAL PASSAGE AND A SECOND PORTION OVERLYING THE OPPOSITE SPRING MEMBER TO WHICH SAID EAR IS ATTACHED TO THEREBY LIMIT THE OUTWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID SPRING MEMBER DUE TO INSERTION OF A MALE TAB MEMBER, AND MEANS EXTENDING FROM SAID CONTACT FOR SECURING SAID CONTACT TO AN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR. 